In The End
by Iori-chan-sempai
Summary: Mao/Almaz. Based on the Almaz Ending. Almaz adapts to the demon world and he and Mao finally clear up their relationship. Written for 50 sentences.


#06 - Rain (On my face)  
After he returns from near-death and he and Mao are finally alone, Almaz notices the wetness Mao hurriedly tries to wipe away from his cheeks; realizing the demon's pride, he only smiles to himself as looks at the sky and asks, "Was there a shower earlier?"

#13 - (Yesterday's) Death  
Almaz has to vanish before his eyes before Mao truly realizes how important the hero-wannabe-turned-demon is to him, therefore he is secretly overjoyed when his princess betrays him and leaves Almaz to him alone-- she had her chance, and even if she returned he is not going to let him go.

#01 - (Maybe just a hint of) Comfort  
Almaz is grateful for Mao's mix of childish innocence and mature poignancy, for when he feels as though he's lost everything, Mao simply calls him an idiot and makes him promise--no, _orders_ him-- to keep smiling throughout it all.

#04 - Pain (Goes away)  
Weeks after Princess Sapphire abandons him, Almaz still feels like crying, but he laughs instead, because even if he is the Overlord, he was Mao's servant first.

#08 - Happiness (is mysterious)  
It's crazy how so many years of longing after a Princess just to have his hopes raised to great heights before being completely demolished could disappear in an instant; a single press of lips against his own and his heart starts to beat faster than ever before.

#15 - (First) Touch  
That faint brush that brings all the feelings concerning Mao that Almaz had scattered inside together with a definite crack; however, he quickly realizes with disappointment that it is a simple, thoughtless effort to make him feel better, and nothing more.

#38 - (Waiting for a) Gift  
He knows it's something akin to waiting for a surprise birthday party, but Almaz can't do much other than hope that Mao with finally notice both of their feelings.

#20 - Freedom (is relative)  
His servitude to Mao is rather fickle: sometimes Almaz is considered free and independent, while other times it's "Where have you been?!" "Get me an eclair!"and "You belong to me!"

#23 - (Holding) Hands  
Mao isn't good at extending courtesies, but is kind enough to pull Almaz to his feet after a clumsy fall caused by the unfamiliarity of his new tail; he tries not to dwell excessively on Almaz's intentions when they still are touching well after he is on his feet.

#05 - (Kindred spirit of) Potatoes  
Mao often compares Almaz to a spud, due to their common ability to grow and adapt even after having their roots pulled out and being placed somewhere completely foreign to them; Almaz just wishes that sooner or later, Mao would see him as more than a vegetable.

#28 - Sickness (happens to other people)  
"Demons don't get ill," Mao says anxiously as Almaz touches their foreheads together; after a whole day of pampering and Almaz's presence, Mao hopes he doesn't get better for awhile.

#30 - (Master Big)Star  
It irks Mao how popular Almaz is with both the students and the administrations; Master BigStar insists he's just jealous, but doesn't clearly express whether he thinks Mao wants the Netherworld's admiration or Almaz's attention on him.

#29 - (You call THAT a) Melody  
"There you are, Mao- have a look, it's great," Almaz waves him over excitedly and introduces him to the first Evil Academy amateur choir.

#32 - (Do I like to have) Confusion  
His school, his Netherworld, is changing, much like himself-- both are becoming softer, more stable and far less wicked than they had ever been; he doesn't understand why or how, he only knows the person at fault.

#21 - Life (in Hell)  
Living in the Netherworld is far different than what Almaz thought it would be: the only screams of pain he hears on a daily basis come from Mao's laboratory, true 'evil' is skipping class or playing pranks, and, in a sort of perverse way, Almaz is able to gain the sort of recognition he doubts he'd be able to get elsewhere (he is, of course, wrong).

#18 - Speed (Or lack of therefore)  
Time crawls when Almaz is away; it makes Mao feel completely lame and girly when he realizes how much brighter the world seems with Almaz in his sights.

#11 - (What's in a) Name  
Although the word 'adamant' couldn't be deigned from anyone's first impression of Almaz, including his own, Mao finds him surprisingly stubborn in his human convictions, even after a full demon transformation.

#16 - (He's got more than one) Weakness  
However, those human convictions allow for him to be taken advantage of; despite being sure that Almaz is capable of protecting himself, Mao is constantly on guard--he won't dare let him perish again.

#26 - (Live) Forever  
"Until someone kills us, I guess-- ah, that means until the end of the Netherworld, if I can't get us out of here before then," and a half smile is Mao's response to Almaz's question of 'How long do demons live?'

#33 - Fear (the reaper)  
The sudden burst of an omega level spell in the room makes Almaz tense and Mao draw his sword; it is only after the culprit has been beaten that Mao realizes that his hands are still shaking, even as Almaz wraps a grateful arm around him.

#22 - (Just a hint of) Jealousy  
There are honestly times when Raspberryl can only shake her head at Mao and Almaz's only pseudo-romantic antics, but inside of her is a part that covets that sort of attention from another-- it's then that Akane and Kyoko usually chime in to remind her that she, too, is loved very much.

#37 - (Updated) Technology  
"I didn't realize you... upgraded," Almaz says with a nervous laugh as he starts to sweat during his monthly "check-up"-- that drill certainly looks far larger than it used to be!

#34 - Lightning/Thunder (is imperative for this to work!)  
He may be ruining Mao's research by preventing him from pulling the lever that would send his newly constructed mismash of organic and inorganic parts into the thunderstorm starting over their heads, but Almas would rather have a disgruntled Mao than Frankenstein's demon-robot monster.

#17 - (Definitely NOT) Tears  
Almaz hasn't seen Mao cry since the day he was revived, therefore his initial reaction towards Mao's wiping at bloodshot eyes is shock and concern-- concern that Mao immediately dwarfs with indignation, shouting, "It's because I was up all night beating the last boss of Eternal Fantasy, not because I was crying, you idiot!"

#03 - (How) Soft  
Mao doesn't notice the plush and velvety texture of Almaz's muffler until the day that he complains about the cold and the azure cloth is almost instantly curled around him.

#39 - (You make me) Smile  
Mao swallows stiffly and turns away from Almaz as he proclaims "I suppose I like you, but don't think this means you're going to be favored, slave!" with so much gusto that a helpless grin instantly comes to Almaz's face.

#02 - (Now that's a) Kiss  
He almost can't believe the feel of Mao's lips on his own-- such cruel, careless lips that don't think twice about what comes out of them were so soft, so pliant and ready to part, eager and opening up only for him.

#12 - Sensual (Seduction!)  
Mao is rather bold in showing his affection once aware his feelings are returned, most likely due to Ms. Machiko's influence; at least Almaz hopes that's the case since he doesn't dare think the gothic-lolita maid outfit could have been Mao's idea.

#14 - (Let's talk about) Sex  
It takes ten seconds for Almaz to faint after turning bright red once he gets the meaning of Mao's innuendo laden invitation into the bedroom; Mao's disappointment isn't entirely based on the fact that he'd bet on Almaz lasting fifteen seconds.

#07 - Chocolate (is inferior)  
Almaz honestly believes that the deep, wet sweetness of Mao's mouth tastes better than any candy in the Netherworld, or any world for that matter; the only thing that stops him from saying it aloud is the fact that Mao would call him insane for even thinking such a thing ("Nothing could be better than a Sniggers bar!").

#40 - (Farewell to) Innocence  
"Mao-sama," he squeaks with uncertainty as the boy strips off his shirt and says, in a way that isn't reassuring in the slightest, "Don't worry, Almaz, I'll be gentle."

#09 - (We definitely need a) Telephone  
After Mao's constant messages--summoning him, asking him questions, or just wanting to know where he is-- ring through the school on the intercom, Almaz puts his hands to his face and decides it's about time they acquired a pair of cellphones.

#24 - (Terrible!) Taste  
Mao carefully takes the spoonful of stew into his mouth as Almaz watches intently for a reaction in a rather frilly apron; the torture of the dubious flavor and slimy texture is forgiven when he stutters out, "It could use a bit more salt," and receives a heart-melting grin from Almaz in return.

#42 - Clouds (do not look like centrifuges)  
A day lying in the grass arguing about shapes in the sky is a good break for the both of them--one that leads to them sprawled over each other in the haze of sleep.

#47 - Moon(light)  
The moonlight occasionally casts a light on Mao's face that's so beautiful it causes him to stop breathing, remove Mao's glasses and gently press their lips together.

#46 - (Rising) Sun  
It always feels like the sun rises far too early whenever he's lying in bed, curled next to Mao, who has, this time, fell asleep with his glasses on and is definitely drooling on him.

#49 - Hair(cut? Circle yes or no.)  
When asked his opinion on the length of his hair-- it hadn't been cut since Almaz left the human world-- Mao rakes through it fondly, "I think it makes you look rather majestic."

#19 - Wind (Machine)  
Although now a demonic overlord with red eyes and two horns fashioned on his head, whenever the wind blows just right, Mao thinks he looks just like the valiant heroes in his video games.

#36 - (This is going to ) Market  
The fourth time that Mao blankly nods in response to whatever Almaz is saying, Almaz snaps-- snatching the MaimBoy Advanced from Mao's hands, he runs toward the student lobby, thinking, "Surely, I can find someone who will buy this thing."

#41 - (100%!) Completion  
Almaz waits earnestly at Mao's side as the boy takes out the final hidden boss on whatever new exciting game he had been playing for the past few days; before he can even cheer, Almaz wraps his arms around him and asks, voice uncharacteristically heavy, "You're done now, right?"

#31 - Home (is where the heart is)  
Almaz misses the human world so much it hurts sometimes-- things were so easy, so simple there-- but while he would love to visit his parents and his friends again, he knows where he truly belongs.

#27 - (Black) Blood  
Sure, the horns took some getting used to, and the tail seemed to put him off balance more than it helped him, but nothing reminded him that he wasn't who he used to be as much as the sight of black fluid seeping from a cut and the memory of how it used to be red.

#35 - (New) Bonds  
He's glad he gathered enough courage to travel to the Netherworld in the first place, for instead of being alone in a world he was supposed to belong to, he had gained a circle of irreplaceable companions.

#43 - (Foreboding) Sky  
The sky looks rather fearsome today, as though another thunderstorm is brewing; a certain tension is in the air, one that has Mao is occupied with identifying but only comes clear when a shot goes off and Almaz lies in the blood seeping out of the wound in his shoulder.

#50 - Supernova (In 3... 2... 1...)  
He feels his consciousness start to slip away the instant he sees Almaz's eyes flutter closed; even if Almaz speaks after that moment, he doesn't hear it because his own voice, calling for power, drowns it out.

#10 - (Whispered in my) Ears  
Once he hears that dark parody of Mao's voice that wickedly croons, "I've got it all covered, Almaz-chan," sickeningly sweet, Almaz knows it's up to him to do something, even though he's sure he has a concussion and can't feel his right arm.

#48 - Waves (you don't want to mess with)  
The waves of dark energy that made even his assailant grow wary slowly dissipate, being replaced by another radiation of energy that is definitely Mao's, yet is somehow even more fearsome than before.

#44 - (Is this) Heaven  
Honestly, he's in heaven: he rules as a King over a domain full of mischievous teenagers who refuse to go to school, making his job much, much easier, all of which are great things, but not as great as being in love, and being loved in return by his stubborn, but very cute, 2nd in command.

#45 - (Okay, it's) Hell  
Technically, he's in hell: he shares living space with the darker dead, speaks with demons who refuse to do good, observes the incompetent administration (he would know its limits very personally), and the only thing that makes him wake up in the morning is the bite of cold metal tables and leather straps on his skin, all lovingly applied by a sadistic mad scientist with a boyish grin.

#25 - (Unspoken) Devotion  
Mao's world grows dimmer the moment he sees her in front of him, returned, more beautiful than last time and certainly more deadly than ever; he doesn't believe it when Almaz shakes his head and takes an insensitive demon over a lovely princess (and is punched in the stomach for it).


End file.
